Machine for molding plastic material.



PATBNTED MAY '7, 1907.

Hg H. HOWELL, MACHINE POR MOLDING PLA-STIC MATERIAL APPLIHATIYON PILHDJULY19, 190s.

` SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTU/HNE YS No. 852,839. PATBNTBD MAY 7;*11907.

l H. H.,H0WELL.l v MACHINE PoR MOLDING PLASTIC MATERIAL;

WJD/55555;

A TTORNE Ys No. 852,839. PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

H. H. HOWELL.

. MAGHINB FOR MOLDING PLASTIC MATERIAL- L APPLIGATION FILED'JULY 19.1906.

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' fs? L ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT onrrcn.

HARRY H. HOWELL, OF HOPE, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO I/VILLIAMO. WILSON, OF BRICE, OHIO.

NIACHINE FOR IVIOLDING P'LASTIC MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed July 19, 1906. Serial No. 326,900.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.;

Be it known that I, HARRY H. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hope, in the county of Hempstead and State of Arkansas, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Molding Plastic Material, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for molding concrete and otherplastic material into the form of tiles, bricks, blocks, and the like,and has for one of its objects to provide a machine which may be readilyadjusted for the formation of molded articles of different type and ofdierent size.

A further object of the invention is to construct a novel form of moldbox7 so arranged as to permit the removal of the finished tile withoutdanger of injury.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of thistype in which the mold box receives circular or oscillatory movementduring the tamping operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form oftamping mechanism by which the material may be uniformly tamped andsolidified.

With these and other objects in view, a's will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists 'in certain novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in theform, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machinefor molding plastic material constructed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe lower portion of themachine. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portionof the mold box and its support. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing theconnections between the lower portion of the mold box and the ratchetring. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cam lever detached. Fig. 7 isa sectional plan viewvof the machine adjusted for the manufacture ofrectangular blocks. Fig. 8

is a transverse sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9is a detail perspective view of one of the pallets employed in themanufacture of the rectangular blocks.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The working parts of the machine are supported on a suitable frame whichincludes a bed plate 1() mounted on suitable legs 11 and a verticalstandard 12.

In the central' front portion of the table is a rectangular opening 15,around the upper portion of the wall of which extends a continuousgroove 16, the wall at the rear portion of the groove being inclined ordovetailed, and this groove receives a detachable plate 17 rectangularin form and having its rear edge beveled to t against the wall of thegroove. The front edge of the plate is held down in place by a suitableturn button or lock 18.

The plate 17 is provided with a guiding opening for the passage of avertically movable'core 19, which when made of metal is preferablyhollow in order to decrease the weight. At the lower central portion ofthe core is a depending pin 20 having an annular groove 21,approximately V-shape in cross section. This pin enters an openingformed in a collar 22 that is supported by a core carrier 23 in the formof a bar arranged horizontally under the table 10, and through thecollar extends a screw 24 which enters the groove 21, and preventsdisplacement of the core without, however, interfering with itsfree'rotative movement during the operation of the machine.

At points near the opposite sides of the machine are vertically disposedguide bars 25 which extend through openings formed in the core carryingbar 23, and hold the same from rotative movement. To the opposite ends'of the bar 23 are connected chains or cables 26 which pass aroundlifting segments 27 that are carried by a horizontally disposed rock IOOnected by a chain 30 to a pedal 31 so that the weight of the operatormay be utilized in starting the downward movement of the core after thecompletion of the molding operation.

Mounted on the plate 17 and provided with a central opening for thepassage of the core 19 is a disk or ring 23 having a continuous marginalfiange 33 within lwhich the mold box is seated. The mold box is formedof two approximately semicylindrical segments 36 and 37, which areconnected together by a hinge pin 38, passing through pivot lugs 39 atone side of the mold box. At the opposite side of the box the adjacentedges of the sections are provided with lugs 40 having openings Ifor thepassage of a locking bolt 41 by means of which said sections are heldclosed during the tamping and other operations.

Projecting from the opposite sides of the core are small pins 42, whichenter small notches formed in the disk or ring 32, so that the core maybe locked to the ring and rotated therewith. The flange 33 is providedwith slots 44 for the reception of' pins 45 that project from theopposite sides ofthe mold box, and when the pins are entered in theseslots, the mold box is firmly locked to the disk or ring. The disk orring is held down to the table, and vertical movement prevented by meansof a pair of lugs 47, that are bolted to the plate 17 and extendslightly over the upper edge of the flange. l

The periphery of the disk or ring is provided with a continuous annularseries of ratchet teeth which are engaged by a spring pressed pawlcarried by a lever 51 that is mounted on a fulcrum pin 52 projectingfrom the bed plate in such manner as to permit the ready removal of thelever when necessary. The rear end of this lever is operated in themanner hereinafter described in order to impart movement to the pawl,and from thence to the ratchet teeth, so that the ring 32 and the coreand mold box may receive rotative movement from the tamping operation.

On top of the mold box is placed a hopper 53 which may be removed afterthe tamping operation, and on top of the core is placed a small conicalguide block 54 which may, also, be removed. This guide block serves todirect the concrete or other plastic material into the annular spacebetween the core and the mold box during the manufacture of hollowcylindrical tiles.

The upper portion of the standard 12 is provided with a pair ofhorizontally disposed brackets or arms 55 that have guiding openings forthe reception of a vertically movable tamper carrying bar 56, the barbeing preferably square or of other non-circular form in cross section,and the guiding openings being similarly shaped, in order to preventrotative movement of said bar. Mounted on the lower portion of the baris a tamper head 58 carrying a number of tamping fingers 59 which arearranged in a continuous annular series, and are designed to enter theannular space between the core and mold box, and pack or tamp theplastic material. The tamping head 58 is provided with a spring pressedlocking bolt 6() having a suitable opposite endswith an adjustablecounter-` balance weight 66.` This lever has an elongated slot 67 intowhich extends an annular friction roller 68 carried by a pin or othersupport projecting from the bar 56. The weight 'of the counter-balance66 is suflicient to normally maintain the tamping Vdevice and lever inelevated position, the tamping force being exerted'by downward pullsofthe handle 65. rlhe frame member 12 also carries a stud or bolt 7 0 onwhich is pivoted a pawl actuating cam lever 71. At the upper end of thelever 71 is a cam 72 which is arranged in the path of movement of thelever 64, and .each time the latter is raised, movement is imparted tosaid lever 71. The lower end of the lever 71 is bifurcated and embracesthe rear end of the pawl carrying lever 5 1, so that as the pawlcarrying lever is rocked, the mold box and core will receiveintermittent rotative movement. The cam 72 is held in contact with thelever 64 by means of a spring 73 that is carried by the standard 12 andengages against one side of said lever. 'l'he opposite sides of the moldbox are provided with handles 75 for convenience in manipulating themold box, and in order to permit opening of the box while grasping thehandles, the bolt 41 is connected by a link 76 to an operating lever 77,ulcrumed on a stud 78 that projects from one of the sections of themold. 'lhe end of this lever has a thumb piece within convenient reachof the thumb of the operator, while grasping one of the handles.

In the operation of the mechanism as thus far described, the variousparts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plastic material isfilled into the mold or hopper, and then the bolt 60 is withdrawn inorder to allow the tamping levers to drop down until they engage withthe material. The operator then grasps the handle 65 and starts thetamping operation, and during each movement, the lever 64 engages thecam 72 and movement is transmitted through the cam lever to the pawlcarrying lever, and from thence to the disk or ring 22, and the core andmold box,

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these being rotated at the end of each tamping blow, so that the tampingfinger will never strike at precisely the same point on two successiveblows. In this way the material may be more uniformly condensed andsolidified, and a more perfect tile produced than where the tamping isaccomplished by random blows of a hand tamper, or by the pressure of aplate or similar member in a mechanically actuated tamper. As thetamping operation progresses, and the mold box becomes filled, theconnection between the tamping handle 58 and the bar 56 may be adjusted,so

,that there will be no excessive strain, nor any wear between theoperating handle and its connection with the bar 56.

After the mold has been filled and tamped, the tamping head is supposedto be in its highest position, and will be held in this position, freefrom the mold box, by the counter weight 66. The-operator thenremovesthe hopper 53 and the core block 54 and trowels off the surplusmaterial to form a smooth finished end on the tile. The Weight of theoperator is then imposed on the treadle 31 in order to start thedownward movement of the core, and the handle 29 is grasped for thepurpose of turning the shaft 28 and allowing l the core to move downvertically until it is entirely clear of the mold. The operator thengrasps the handles of the mold box, and carries the mold and thefinished articles to the drying floor, at which point he depresses thelever 77 and moves the bolt 41 to release position, after which the twoparts of the mold may be readily opened to free the tile.

When it is desired to employ the apparatus for the manufacture of hollowconcrete building blocks, the tamping headv is released wholly from thebar 56 and allowed to fall into the mold, after which the core operatinglever 51 is raised from its pin 52. The core being depressed, the plate17, together with the mold box, and flange or ring 32, are entirelyremoved from the machine. The screw 24 is then loosened and the coreremoved. A core plate SO'is then connected to the top of the corecarrying bar 23 by means of bolts 81, this core carrying plate beingshown in the present instance as provided with a plurality of cores 19',and these are arranged to move up through the opening l5 in the bedplate. A back plate 82 is then secured to the base by bolts 83, whichpass through openings 84 formed in the bed plate for that purpose. Tothis back plate are hinged the endyplates S5, the latter beingpreferably of such size as to permit the manufacture of two blocks, andthe two blocks are divided by a partition 86, the ends of which fitwithin vertical grooves formed in the inner faces of the end plates. Thefront plate S7 is hinged to lugs-88 that are carried by the frame, andthe front plate is provided with projecting arms or lugs 89 which arearranged to be engaged by locking latches 90 pivoted to said end plates.

The pallets 91 are of a shape corresponding to the contour of the blockto be made, and are provided with the usual core receiving openings.After the pallets have been placed in position, the cores are elevatedand the mold box is closed and locked, after which the material isfilled in and tamped by hand or otherwise, and the surplus material istroweled oif. The operator then withdraws the cores by the samemechanism as that previously described, and after opening the mold box,removes first the front block on its pallet, then the division plate,and then the rear block. New pallets are then vplaced in position andthe mold box again closed and locked.

lt is obvious that in some cases the mold box may receive a simpleoscillatory movement, instead of a complete rotative movement, and thatthe operation of the tamping mechanism will be substantially the same asthough the mold box received intermittent rotative movement in onedirection.

I claim l.. The combination with a mold box, of a reciprocatory tampingmember, a manually operable actuating lever therefor, the lever having avariable stroke governed by the 95 quantity of material in the mold box,and the force of the tamping blow, and means actuated by said lever forimparting to the mold box a step by step rotative movement proportionedto the stroke of the lever.

2. In combination, a mold box, a tamping member, a carrying rod to whichsaid tamping member is adjustably connected, an operating leverconnected to the rod, a cam lever receiving movement from the rodoperating lever, a ratchet wheel secured to the mold box, and a pawlengaging the ratchet wheel and receiving movement from said cam lever.

3. In combination, a mold box having a projecting lug, a flangedsupporting ring having a notch or slot for the reception of the lug,ratchet teeth on said ring, a pawl engaging the ratchet teeth, a tampingdevice, and means for transmitting movement from the tamping device tothe pawl.

4. In combination, a mold box having a projecting lug, a flangedsupporting ring having a slot for the reception of the lug, ratchetteeth on the ring, a pawl engaging the ratchety teeth, a pawl carryinglever, a tamping member, an operating lever therefor, and a cam leverextending between the tamping lever and the pawl carrying lever.

5. In combination, a mold box having a projecting lug, a flangedsupporting ring having a slot for the reception of said lug, ratchetteeth on the ring, a pawl engaging the ratchet teeth, a pawl carryinglever, a reciprocatory tamping member, a counterbalanced operating levertherefor, and a cam IOO IOS

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lever connected to the pawl carrying lever l ble connections betweensaid segments and 25 y and having a cam in the path of movement of thetamping member.

6. In a machine of the class described, a revoluble ring, means forrotating the same, a vertically movable core extending through saidring, a mold box carried by the ring, means for locking the core andmold box to the ring.

7. In combination, a langed ring forming the base of the mold box, meansfor rotating the ring, a core movable'vertically through said ring,means for locking the same to the ring, a sectional mold box seatedwithin the fiange and provided with a pair of projecting lugs, and theflange having slots for the reception of said lugs. v

8. In combination, a table having an opening for the passage of a core,a mold box supported on the table, a core carrying bar, a core mountedthereon, means for guiding the bar, a pedal connected to the bar, ashaft, means for supporting the same, a pair of lifting segments carriedby the shaft, and flexi` the bar.

9. In a machine of the class described, a frame including a table, saidtable having an opening, a detachable plate for covering the opening,interchangeable mold boxes, a core carrying bar arranged beneath thetable, interchangeable cores, means for connecting the saine to the bar,'a pair of uide rods for .said bar, lifting segments, an liexibleconnections between the segments and the bar. 10. The combination with amold box, of a vertically guided rod having a plurality of notches, atamper head, a locking bolt carried thereby, and adapted to saidnotches, tamping members depending from said head, and

means for operating said bar. p

In testimony that I claim the Jforegoing Vas my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

HARRY H. HOWELL. Witnesses z W. I). AGEE, JOE D. BowDEN.

